Alpine A290 review

Renault’s Alpine offshoot has been around since 2016, but despite the brilliance of its A110 sports car and its F1 team, it hasn’t yet become a proper household name – and it isn’t yet available officially in Ireland. To do that, the brand knows it needs to sell more than just a two-seat sports car, and that’s why the A110 is being joined next year by this the A290 electric hatchback. Based on the new Renault 5, but pumped up with more powerful motors and aggressive bumpers, it’s here to take on the MINI Cooper SE, but will the retro-styled hot hatchback have what it takes to compete?

Retro rally car

Externally, the A290 combines the Renault 5’s cool retro modernity with styling cues designed to evoke memories of old-school rally cars. That’s why there are ‘X’ graphics on the lights, designed to remind us of the tape we used to see on rally cars’ spotlights. Similarly, the A290 has a little see-through panel on the bonnet, a bit like the old Renault 5’s air vent, and it has a big body kit to add some Fast-and-Furious appeal.

There’s charm to the cabin, too, where Alpine has built on the Renault 5’s foundations with a sportier steering wheel and sports seats that hold you in place more securely. There’s some Alpine branding and some posh upholstery, too, but the basic design isn’t that different from the Renault 5, with a big central touchscreen and a digital instrument display, albeit with a few modifications.

The Renault touchscreen was already very capable, with its Android-derived operating system and Google Maps in place of a conventional navigation system, but Alpine has added its own touches with a telemetry app for use on racetracks and a warp-speed graphic for the digital instrument cluster when you use full acceleration.

Big boots

But for all the cool additions, the Alpine still has to do the practical stuff, and the cabin space is pretty much the same as that of the Renault 5, with a pleasant driving position and rear cabin space that’s relatively easy to access thanks to the five-door body shape, but isn’t especially commodious. Boot space is pretty good, though, with way more capacity than you’ll get in a MINI Cooper SE. The only slight fly in the ointment is that getting out of the car requires a degree of care to avoid putting your foot through the bold side skirts that jut from the door sills.

Similarly, the Alpine needs to offer reasonable range despite its performance, so some customers might be a little disappointed to find it has the same 52kWh battery as the standard Renault 5. Still, that means the least powerful base version of the A290 can still cover 380km on a single charge, and the more powerful 220hp version is almost as efficient, squeezing 364km of range from its 52kWh battery. Either way, that should be enough for most, especially as our test suggested the more powerful motor would still return the best part of 300km of range even when being driven quite hard.

Surprisingly comfortable

And if truth be told, that’s where the A290 is at its best. With either motor, performance is plentiful and an overtake button means it’s always instantly accessible, while the nature of electric motors ensures the response is pretty much instantaneous. Similarly, the Alpine has sharp, if not especially direct, steering and brakes that use A110 components to offer immense stopping power. Bespoke Michelin tyres give it incredible grip, while the chassis ensures the A290 can make the most of it.

Body control isn’t perfect — the car still leans a bit in corners, despite its wheels being wider apart than those of the Renault 5 — but it is at least controlled, and the trade-off is a surprisingly subtle ride for something so agile. It doesn’t exactly glide along the road, but nor does it jolt like a horse and cart, while exemplary refinement means it’s quiet and comfortable on a longer journey.

The only problem is the charging rates, which are just about acceptable without being in any way outstanding, recharging the battery from 15 per cent to 80 per cent in about half an hour. That’s fine, but a bit of an improvement would have gone a long way.

Fun and funky

That said, equipment levels are fairly good, and even basic cars get air conditioning, a reversing camera and the clever touchscreen, as well as the Alpine styling and the 180hp electric motor. If you want the range-topping 220hp version, you can add a few other luxury features, such as leather upholstery, to the list, but the basics remain the same.

Prices still haven’t been confirmed, but they’re expected to be much higher than those of the Renault 5, and possibly higher than the MINI. But the A290 can rival those cars in terms of premium feel and road manners, as well as in terms of space and comfort. So, if that retro look suits you and you have the budget, the A290 is a fun and funky car that’s worthy of its hot hatchback billing.

What next for Alpine?

Alpine has promised to go on a model offensive next year, launching the A290 and another forthcoming SUV model, as well as an electric A110 sports car replacement. That will see the brand go from one old car to three new ones in relatively short order, with the potential for more to arrive in the coming years.